Missouri ends 9-game skid vs. Illinois, wins 81-68
ST. LOUIS - In the first minute of D.J. Richardson's first Braggin' Rights game, Illinois' freshman guard had the ball ripped away in the backcourt for a layup. Then he committed a charge.
In the first minute of Brandon Paul's first Braggin' Rights game, Illinois' other freshman guard turned his right ankle. That cost the Warren Township High School graduate most of the first half.
While their debuts got better from there - they each scored 11 points and combined for 7 rebounds - they and their Illini mates never quite figured how to handle Missouri's self-described "Fastest 40 Minutes in Basketball."
Illinois' nine-game Border War run came to a screeching halt as Missouri delivered an 81-68 knockout Wednesday night before 20,497 at Scottrade Center.
The Illini (8-4), who got as close as 6 points with 8:07 to go, committed 13 of their season-high 22 turnovers in the first half when the Tigers seized control.
"They outplayed us, there's no doubt," Illinois coach Bruce Weber said. "They set the tone probably in the first three minutes. They were so aggressive. Their quickness bothered us. All year we've struggled with some quickness."
Missouri guards Kim English and Michael Dixon, who teamed for 40 points, leapt around the court gleefully at the buzzer.
Then Dixon, in a move patented by ex-Illini great Dee Brown earlier in the decade, popped his jersey for the ESPN2 cameras.
And to think, Mizzou fans had grown so weary of this series that the school turned back tickets to the box office for the first time in eons. Missouri fans sounded like they owned the joint much of the night as their Tigers kept up the pressure.
Not only did Illinois cough up the ball too often, they surrendered too many 3-pointers as the Tigers kept driving and kicking for open shots. Missouri hit 10 of 25 3-pointers, but that's only after going cold at the end.
All five of Illinois' starters finished in double figures, but they also teamed for 17 turnovers. Junior center Mike Tisdale led the way with 14 points and a career-high 13 rebounds.
While Illinois outrebounded Missouri by 10 for the game, Weber's bunch never seemed to get rebounds when they needed them.
When Missouri grabbed 4 offensive rebounds on the second-half's opening possession that ended with a Dixon 3-pointer - then Demetri McCamey turned it over in the backcourt immediately thereafter - Weber called a timeout to try to limit the pain with the Tigers up by 10.
Missouri went on to grab 13 offensive rebounds in the second half to derail every brief Illini flurry.
As the final seconds ticked away, Richardson and Paul sat next to each other on the bench looking forlorn.
"They just kind of punked us, I'd say," Richardson said. "We couldn't practice how they played. You've got to be mentally tough for it. Hopefully we can get them next year."